[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 45, Volume 3]
[Revised as of October 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 45CFR641.18]

[Page 187-188]
 
                        TITLE 45--PUBLIC WELFARE
 
                 CHAPTER VI--NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
 
PART 641--ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES FOR PROPOSED NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION ACTIONS IN ANTARCTICA--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 641.18  Comprehensive environmental evaluation.

    (a) Scoping. If it is determined that a CEE will be prepared, the 
responsible official shall publish a notice of intent to prepare a CEE 
in the Federal Register, inviting interested persons and government 
agencies to participate in the process of identifying significant issues 
relating to the proposed action and determining the scope of the issues 
to be addressed in the CEE.
    (b) Contents of CEE. A CEE shall be a concise and analytical 
document, prepared in accordance with the range of relevant issues 
identified in the scoping process. It shall contain sufficient 
information to permit informed consideration of the reasonably 
foreseeable potential environmental effects of a proposed action and 
possible alternatives to that proposed action. Such information shall 
include the following:
    (1) A description of the proposed action including its purpose, 
location, duration and intensity;
    (2) A description of the initial base-line environmental state with 
which predicted changes are to be compared, and a prediction of the 
future environmental state in the absence of the proposed action;
    (3) A description of the methods and data used to forecast the 
potential impacts of the proposed action;
    (4) An estimate of the nature, extent, duration and intensity of the 
likely direct potential impacts of the proposed action;
    (5) A consideration of the potential indirect or second order 
impacts from the proposed action;
    (6) A consideration of potential cumulative impacts of the proposed 
action in light of existing activities and other known planned actions 
and available information on those actions;
    (7) A description of possible alternatives to the proposed action, 
including the alternative of not proceeding, and the potential 
consequences of those alternatives, in sufficient detail to allow a 
clear basis for choice among the alternatives and the proposed action;
    (8) Identification of measures, including monitoring, that could be 
employed to minimize, mitigate or prevent potential impacts of the 
proposed action, detect unforeseen impacts, provide early warning of any 
adverse effects, and carry out prompt and effective response to 
accidents;
    (9) Identification of unavoidable potential impacts of the proposed 
action;
    (10) Consideration of the potential effects of the proposed action 
on the conduct of scientific research and on other existing uses and 
values;

[[Page 188]]

    (11) Identification of gaps in knowledge and uncertainties 
encountered in compiling the information required by this paragraph (b);
    (12) A non-technical summary of the information included in the CEE; 
and
    (13) The name and address of the person and/or organization which 
prepared the CEE, and the address to which comments thereon should be 
directed.
    (c) Circulation of draft CEE. A draft of each CEE shall be provided 
to the Department of State for circulation to all Parties to the 
Protocol and to organizations or committees established pursuant to the 
Protocol or Treaty, as required by the Protocol, and shall be made 
publicly available. Notice of such public availability shall be 
published in the Federal Register. All such parties shall have a period 
of not less than ninety (90) days within which to review and comment 
upon the draft CEE.
    (d) Final CEE. A final CEE shall address, and shall include or 
summarize, comments received on the draft CEE. The final CEE, notice of 
any decisions related thereto, and any evaluation of the significance of 
the predicted impacts in relation to the advantages of the proposed 
action shall be provided to the Department of State for circulation to 
all Parties to the Protocol, and shall be available to the public upon 
request, at least sixty (60) days prior to the commencement of the 
proposed activity in Antarctica. Notice of such public availability 
shall be published in the Federal Register.
    (e) Implementation of proposed action. No final decision shall be 
taken to proceed in Antarctica with an action for which a final CEE is 
required until after the earlier of:
    (1) The first Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting taking place at 
least one hundred and twenty days after circulation of the draft CEE, or
    (2) Fifteen months following the circulation of the draft CEE.